Moldavite Gemstone Information:

Moldavite, also known as the 'Bouteille Stone' or as 'Vltavin' in Czech, is an olive-green to dull brown-green vitreous gemstone. The unusual green gem garnered much fame and attention owing to its unusual origin. Moldavite was thought to have been formed by condensed rock vapors after a meteorite impact. Moldavite belongs to the Tektite group of minerals, which is a small family of natural glass rocks. Moldavite is sometimes touted as 'the only known extraterrestrial gemstone on Earth', or as 'the gemstone born from the stars'.

Moldavite is a bottle-green to brown-green gemstone belonging to the tektite group. It has garnered attention due to its unusual origin - it is thought to have formed from condensed rock vapors after a meteorite impact. You will sometimes see moldavite touted as "the only known extraterrestrial gemstone on earth" or "the gemstone from the stars".

Though moldavite has been promoted by some as extraterrestrial, which is probably not the case. According to tektite theory, a meteorite impact melts material from the Earth's surface and catapults it up to several hundred kilometers away from the impact site. The molten material cools and solidifies to glass. According to this theory, a meteorite impact causes the formation, but the precursor material of tektites is primarily of terrestrial origin, as determined from isotopic measurements. Today, the terrestrial origin of tektites is widely accepted based on the results of geochemical and isotopic studies.

Moldavite gets its name from the town of Moldauthein in the Czech Republic where it was first found. There are currently four moldavite mines operating in the Czech Republic, but it is estimated that the supply of gem-grade material will be exhausted in about ten years' time.

Moldavite Gemological Properties:

Chemical Formula: SiO(+Al2O3) Silicon dioxide + aluminum oxide

Crystal Structure: Amorphous

Color: Bottle-green to brown green

Hardness: 5.50

Refractive Index: 1.48 to 1.54

Density: 2.32 to 2.38

Cleavage: None

Transparency: Transparent to opaque

Double Refraction or Birefringence: None

Luster: Vitreous

Fluorescence: None